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Used Car Lemon Law Fact Sheet

The Used Car Lemon law provides a legal remedy for consumers who are buyers or lessees of used cars that turn out to be lemons. The law requires dealers to give consumers a written warranty. Under this warranty, dealers must repair, free of charge, any defect in covered parts. If the dealer is unable to repair the car after a reasonable number of attempts, the consumer is entitled to a full refund.

Cars Covered by the Used Car Lemon Law Include any car that:

was purchased, leased or transferred after the earlier of 18,000 miles or two years from original delivery; AND

was purchased or leased from a New York dealer; AND

had a purchase price or lease value of at least $1,500; AND

has been driven less than 100,000 miles at the time of purchase/lease; AND

is used primarily for personal purposes.

Statutory Warranty Length:

Miles of Operation

Duration of Warranty (the earlier of)

18,001-36,000 miles

90 days or 4,000 miles

36,001-79,999 miles

60 days or 3,000 miles

80,000-100,000 miles

30 days or 1,000 miles

Warranty Requirements:

Auto dealers are required by law to provide you a written warranty to covers the following parts:

A Dealer's Duty to Repair: A reasonable chance for an auto dealer to repair a problem for a used car is considered to be:

three or more repair attempts and the problem continues to exist; OR

the car is out of service by reason of repair for a cumulative total of 15 days or more (although unavailability of parts may extend this time).

Exceptions When an Auto Dealer May Not Be Required to Provide a Refund:

the problem does not substantially impair the value of the car to the consumer; OR

the problem is a result of abuse, neglect or unauthorized alteration of the car.

What consumers should do if they become aware of a problem with the car:

immediately report any malfunction or defect of a covered part to the dealer and request the necessary repairs. If the consumer has notified the dealer of a problem within the warranty period, the dealer must make the repair even if the warranty has subsequently expired.

keep careful records of all complaints and copies of all work orders, repair bills and correspondence.

Individuals with questions about their rights under the Used Car Lemon Law are encouraged to contact the Attorney General's consumer help line at (800) 771-7755 or go to usedcarlemon.pdf.